More than 130 wild animals, including six rare rhinos, have tragically died due to severe flooding in Kaziranga National Park in northeastern India. The park, which is home to the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceros, is experiencing its worst deluge in recent memory. The fatalities, many of which were caused by drowning, included 117 hog deer, two sambar deer, one rhesus macaque and one otter.
It is not the first time that the park has suffered such devastation. In 2017, flooding and vehicle collisions during migration killed more than 350 animals. However, amid the tragedy, there are glimmers of hope. Officials have managed to rescue 97 animals from the flood waters. Of these, 25 are currently receiving medical attention, while 52 have been discharged after treatment.
Kaziranga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to more than 2,400 one-horned rhinos. The park also serves as a tiger reserve and is home to elephants, wild water buffalo, numerous species of birds and the endangered South Asian dolphins found in the park's rivers.
The floods have not only affected the fauna, but also the human population. Torrential rains have caused the state's major rivers to flow above danger levels, flooding large parts of the park and thousands of villages. More than 60 people have lost their lives and more than two million have been displaced. The deluge has also caused extensive damage to roads, other infrastructure, crops and livestock.
Officials warn that the situation could worsen, with more rain expected and the water level in the Brahmaputra river, which runs through the state, rising in the coming days. As a result, hundreds of relief camps have been set up across Assam to accommodate the displaced. This highlights the harsh reality of the monsoon season in northeast India and neighboring countries, where floods and landslides are common.
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